Supporting AI Literacies for Young Adults Aged 14-19

Supporting AI Literacies for Young Adults Aged 14–19 is a research-based framework designed to help young people understand and use artificial intelligence in a critical, responsible, and informed way. It was developed through a collaboration between organisations such as the Responsible Innovation Centre, the Bridging Responsible AI Divides Programme, and We Are Open Co-op.

The report explains what it means to be “AI literate” today. It goes beyond just knowing how to use tools like chatbots or recommendation systems, and instead focuses on helping young people understand how AI works, how it affects society, and how to use it ethically. The framework is especially aimed at public service media organisations, showing how they can support young audiences in developing these skills.

A key idea in the report is that AI literacy should be value-based. This means it is not only about technical knowledge, but also about understanding issues such as fairness, bias, privacy, and the impact of AI on people’s lives. The framework encourages critical thinking, creativity, and active participation, so that young people are not just passive users of technology but informed citizens who can question and shape it.

The report also provides practical guidance, including examples of activities, strategies, and approaches that organisations can use to engage young people aged 14 to 19. It highlights the importance of accessible language, inclusive design, and real-world contexts to make AI education meaningful and relevant.

This document is a guide to help educators, media organisations, and policymakers support the development of AI literacy as a key competence for the future, combining technical understanding with ethical awareness and social responsibility.

https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/responsible-innovation/responsible-innovation-centre-ai-literacies-young-adults.pdf?ref=blog.weareopen.coop

Pedestrians First

Pedestrians First is an interactive online tool designed to help people understand and measure how walkable a city is. It has been developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP. New York) and focuses especially on the needs of babies, young children, and their caregivers, using them as a reference to design better cities for everyone.

The site offers several tools that allow users to explore and analyse cities at different levels. For example, you can see maps and data about how close people live to services like schools or public transport, evaluate whether a neighbourhood is easy to walk around, or even assess a specific street using a checklist of features such as sidewalks, crossings, safety, or shade. These tools are based on indicators like access to services, population density, or the quality of pedestrian infrastructure, helping users understand what makes a city more or less walkable.

The main idea behind the project is that walkable cities are healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable. When cities are designed so that even the most vulnerable people can move safely on foot, they become better places for everyone to live.

This website can be very useful in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. First, it provides authentic, real-world content in English, which helps students develop reading and vocabulary skills related to topics like cities, environment, and transport. Second, it can be used for interactive activities, such as analysing a city, comparing different places, or discussing how to improve urban life. These tasks encourage speaking and critical thinking.

https://pedestriansfirst.itdp.org/

Amnesty International Supporting Human Rights Education

This document is a resource catalogue created by Amnesty International for teachers and educators. It is like a guidebook that shows all the teaching materials available to help students learn about human rights.

Inside the catalogue, you can find:

- Lesson plans and classroom activities

- Educational materials for different ages (from young children to older students)

- Ideas to teach topics like freedom, justice, equality, and global issues

- Resources for both classroom use and independent learning at home

The main purpose of this catalogue is to help teachers teach human rights in a practical and engaging way. It encourages students to understand other people’s experiences, think critically, and become active, responsible citizens.

It also explains how to access these materials (most of them are free online) and offers extra support, such as training courses for teachers.

https://media.amnesty.org.uk/documents/Resource20Catalogue202025.pdf

Help Teaching

HelpTeaching is a free online collection of English Language Arts worksheets designed for teachers, students, and parents.

In simple terms, it is a website where you can find ready-to-use materials to teach and practise English skills. These worksheets cover areas such as reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension, and they are organised by grade level, from early education to high school.

The main purpose of this resource is to make teaching easier. Teachers can download or print worksheets to use in class, assign them as homework, or use them for quick assessments. Many of the materials are designed to reinforce what students learn in lessons, helping them practise skills step by step.

The content is very varied. For example, you can find:

• Reading passages with questions
• Grammar and spelling exercises
• Writing prompts and activities
• Worksheets focused on specific skills like prefixes, punctuation, or text analysis

https://www.helpteaching.com/free-english-language-arts-worksheets.htm

Teaching relationship skills #OECD

The publication “Teaching relationship skills: Evidence from classrooms to inform policy” by the OECD is a short policy brief that explains why relationship skills are essential in education and how teachers actually use them in the classroom.

In simple terms, the report focuses on skills such as communication, empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution, which are considered fundamental for creating a positive learning environment. These abilities help students engage more in learning, improve relationships between classmates, and allow teachers to spend more time teaching instead of managing behaviour.

The study is based on data from Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024, one of the largest international surveys of teachers. It uses real-life classroom scenarios to analyse how teachers respond to situations involving student relationships—for example, conflicts or positive interactions—and what strategies they say they would use.

One of the key ideas is that teaching these relationship skills is not always easy. Many teachers feel less confident supporting students’ social and emotional development compared to teaching academic content, which suggests that more training and support are needed in this area.

The report also shows that teachers’ approaches can vary depending on factors such as their experience, training, or even gender. For instance, some teachers are more likely to use comprehensive strategies that include listening to students, working with colleagues, and directly addressing problems, while others may rely on simpler or more limited approaches.

https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/teaching-relationship-skills_d882368e-en.html

PhET Interactive Simulations

PhET Interactive Simulations is a free educational website that offers interactive simulations to help students learn science and mathematics in a simple and visual way. It was created as a non-profit project at the University of Colorado Boulder with the goal of improving how subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, and math are taught.

The main idea of PhET is that students learn better by exploring and experimenting instead of only reading or listening. On the website, users can interact with virtual simulations that behave like real scientific systems. For example, they can build electric circuits, explore how forces work, or see how molecules move. These simulations are designed to be fun, visual, and easy to use, often with tools like sliders, buttons, and drag-and-drop actions.

One important feature of PhET is that it helps make abstract or invisible concepts easier to understand. Things that are normally hard to see—like atoms, energy, or electric fields—are shown through animations and graphics, allowing students to see how they work in real time. The simulations also give immediate feedback, so learners can observe cause-and-effect relationships as they change variables.

Another key aspect is that all the simulations are research-based and tested in real classrooms to make sure they are effective for learning. They are also free, open-source, and available online or for download, which makes them accessible to teachers and students all over the world

https://phet.colorado.edu/